The present invention relates generally to a one-hand folding mechanism used for strollers, and, more particularly, to a secondary lock mechanism cooperable with the fold mechanism to restrict accidental actuation thereof.
For the sake of minimizing the physical volume of child's stroller to facilitate transportation thereof in a non-active configuration, foldable strollers have been developed. Recent developments in these foldable strollers have provided a folding mechanism that is operable to convert the stroller from an expanded operational configuration to a folded transport configuration. Locking devices are often associated with the folding mechanisms to limit the accidental actuation of the mechanism. Some folding mechanisms require the use of two hands to operate; others are designed such that the stroller can be converted into the transport configuration through the use of a single hand.
One such folding mechanism can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,862, issued to Kenny Cheng on Jan. 22, 2002, in which the folding mechanism incorporates a pair of rotatable cams having teeth formed on the circumference thereof. An actuator trigger includes a central rack that engages the teeth of both cams simultaneously to cause rotation thereof when depressed. The rotating cams pull on wires that cause the stroller to fold into the transport configuration. The Cheng patent is silent as to a locking device to cooperate with the folding mechanism to limit utilization thereof. A locking device for use with rotatable cam folding mechanisms can be found, however, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,454, granted to Kenzou Kassai on Sep. 30, 1986, in which a push button depresses a catch member seated in a formed receptacle in the two pinions. When the catch member is depressed out of the receptacle, the pinions are free to rotate and operate the locking mechanism.
Other rotating cam member folding mechanisms can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,431, granted to Scott Sutherland on Aug. 15, 2000. The associated locking mechanism is a spring-loaded wedging piston engagable with pivoted actuating lever. When the piston is wedged between the intermeshing cogs to keep the cogs from rotating, the cogs cannot operate to fold the stroller. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,587, issued to Kojiro Yamazaki on Jul. 23, 2002, a single rotatable cam is operated with cables attached to circumferentially opposing sides thereof operates the folding mechanism. A locking device does not appear to be disclosed, but the specification discusses a spring that would assist in the conversion of the stroller between operating and transport configurations.
Pivoted pawls depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,479, granted to Ying-Yuan Huang on Sep. 3, 2002, operate similarly to the aforementioned rotatable cams. In the Huang patent, the locking mechanism is shown in the form of a spring-loaded safety latch that rides internally within a slot when released from engagement with the actuating lever, which can then pivot the pawls to convert the stroller into the transport configuration. The locking mechanism in U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,328, granted to Chuan-Ming Yeh, et al. on Nov. 13, 2002, is also spring-loaded to move into engagement with one of the pivoted pawls. The accessible latch member is manually accessible to retract the latch member from engagement with the pawl to allow the actuator trigger to cause pivotal movement of the pawls and, thus convert the stroller into the transport configuration.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a secondary latch mechanism that would be particularly adaptable to use with rotating cam folding mechanisms and be operable to conveniently release the actuation trigger for operative movements.